Florida coronavirus cases surge to 4,038, up 275 cases

More than 50 deaths reported

ORLANDO, Fla. – More than 3,800 have been afflicted with COVID-19 and another 56 have died from the virus, according to new numbers released by the Florida Department of Health Saturday night.

Public health officials announced 840 new coronavirus cases Saturday taking the total of positive cases in Florida above the 4,000 mark.

This marks the largest increase in one day, beating Wednesday’s jump of 548 cases.

The FDOH also saw an increase in hospitalizations since Friday night, bring the total up to 526 patients now being treated. Volusia County reported one person has died due to complications of the virus.

Florida, now with 4,038 cases, has continued to see a steady increase as more testing sites have been made available. Statewide, more than 33,000 people have been tested for the virus, less than 10% of those tests came back positive, according to officials.

Seminole County has also seen an increase in cases over the last week, local leaders opting to mandate people keep six-feet from each other with a county-wide social distancing order.

Other measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 include beaches in Brevard County limiting operation hours and Disney World closing its gates indefinitely.

As counties issue community restrictions, Gov. Ron DeSantis stands firm on his reasons for not issuing a state-wide mandate, saying that it would be too disruptive to businesses and the everyday lives of those who live in areas without community transmission. Instead, he issued mandatory quarantine orders for those traveling from Louisiana and New York hotspots to Florida, requiring those travelers must be screened and self-isolate for two weeks to avoid contributing to the spread in the Sunshine State.